The concept of retractable columns that employ link type structures that can be linked together to form a rigid structure are known in the art. In my prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,710 I disclose a retractable column that can be used to suspend heavy overhead structures such as light banks that are used at concerts with the retractable column formed from a link chain that has C-shaped hooks on opposite edges of the link chain. In contrast, to the multiple links of my prior U.S. and corresponding foreign patents, the present invention utilizes at least three flexible one piece webs that have substantially identical shaped teeth located along the opposite edges of the webs with the spacing between adjacent teeth and the dimension of the teeth sufficient so that the teeth along one edge of one web can be flexed to form interlocking engagement with the teeth along an edge of an adjacent web and thereby hold their webs in restrained engagement with each other to produce a rigid column that requires further flexing of the teeth to unlock the teeth from each other thus ensuring that the column remains in an extended postion.